To the editor: Phoenix Books hopes to keep Misty Valley open into January

Phoenix Books Misty Valley, located on the Green, in Chester, has been open the past two weeks and will remain open at least through the end of December. It is our hope that we can continue to operate into January, and an announcement about that will be issued soon.

The December hours of operation are Wednesday thru Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Please call the store at 802-875-3400 to confirm openings as the weather has been challenging and you can also find updates on its Facebook page.

We, the owners of Misty Valley, are working hard to sell the store rather than close it. We have fielded a number of inquiries and discussions are ongoing. However, no deal is imminent, so we encourage any interested parties to contact Mike DeSanto at mike@phoenixbooks.biz or call him at 802-872-7111.

Phoenix Books would like to sell both the building and the bookstore to one person or company. It is our view that the best way to make the bookstore sustainable is for an owner to live in the building and staff the store for many of the hours that it is open. The building is a source of ancillary revenue, with a rental apartment, and the new owner can live in the second apartment. As many readers of The Telegraph will recall, that was the formula for owners prior to Phoenix Books.

The abrupt, temporary closing of the store some weeks ago was unplanned, and we do apologize for that and for the initial lack of communication. Fortunately we now have a temporary way forward, in the person of Katie DeSanto being willing to stay multiple overnights in Chester to staff the store four days a week. Katie has a family in Hardwick, so this a temporary solution.

We are hopeful that a buyer will emerge and that Chester’s independent bookstore will continue to exist to serve the needs of area residents. We heartily appreciate the public’s support during this time of transition.